This invention relates to processing of prepaid calling time in a telephone communication system.
Telephone communication service providers have substantially increased the number of services they offer in recent years. This has been made possible by the development of technology related to digital signal processing, and large-scale circuit integration, as well as the deregulation of the telecommunications industry and the implementation of a mobile telephony infrastructure. There is a large demand for these services. For example, one service that many consumers desire is the option to purchase prepaid calling time. Consumers who do not have a credit card against which they can charge the cost of a toll telephone call often desire to purchase prepaid calling cards. Prepaid calling cards provide the consumer with a fixed amount of calling time in exchange for the price paid when the card is purchased. Often, a prepaid calling card will provide a lower effective long distance rate than can otherwise be obtained.
However, conventional pre-paid calling services have several disadvantages. A consumer using a prepaid calling card must first call a telephone number of the prepaid service provider. Once this connection is established, the consumer must then dial a Personal Identification Number (PIN). Then, the consumer must dial the telephone number of the call destination. Thus, two long distance calls must be typically be made to establish the connection. Further, the consumer must typically dial more than twenty digits to complete the call. Also, the prepaid service is often unavailable for local toll calls. Moreover, when the prepaid time expires, the consumer must go to a store and purchase another prepaid calling card. Thus, existing methods for providing prepaid calling time to consumers is inconvenient.
Many consumers of prepaid calling services lack the credit-worthiness to obtain toll telephone services on a post-pay basis. Therefore, these consumers find it difficult to obtain mobile phone services, which are normally offered on a post-pay basis for credit-worthy consumers. Although some companies do provide mobile phone services on a prepaid basis, such prepaid services also present disadvantages. For example, the consumers of prepaid mobile phone calling time must typically pay higher calling rates. Also, when the prepaid time expires the consumer must return to the service provider to prepay for additional calling time. Moreover, the consumer will be uncertain of the prepaid call time remaining and risks being unable to make a call or complete a call in progress due to the expiration of prepaid time.
Therefore, there is a need for systems and methods for providing prepaid calling services that overcome these and other disadvantages of the prior art.
An object of the present invention is therefore to provide systems and methods for providing prepaid calling services that overcome disadvantages of existing prepaid calling services.
According to the present invention, a consumer of prepaid calling time is assigned an account. The consumer prepays an initial amount of money into the account. The monetary balance of the account is equated to an amount of prepaid calling time available to the consumer. When a consumer makes a telephone call, the time of the call is subtracted from the consumer""s prepaid calling time as the call proceeds. The account is also debited by a dollar amount corresponding to the calling time consumed as the call proceeds.
The process of monitoring the time of the call and debiting the account may be performed at a site that is local to the consumer. In particular, the process can be performed at the Local Switching Office (LSO) or Mobile Switching Center (MSC). When a consumer makes a call, the switching center identifies the origin of the call and determines if the call originates from a prepay subscriber. If so, the account of the subscriber is identified. The account is evaluated to determine the amount of prepaid calling time remaining to the subscriber. This amount of time may be communicated to the subscriber by voice such that only the subscriber hears it. Alternatively, the amount of time remaining to the subscriber may be displayed on a display of the phone of the subscriber. If the prepay subscriber has prepaid calling time remaining the call is connected to its destination and the call progresses. The time of the call is subtracted from the prepaid calling time as the call proceeds. Also, the balance of the subscriber""s account may be decremented as the call proceeds. If the amount of calling time remaining becomes less than a certain pre-designated time, for example, two minutes, the subscriber may be informed of this during the call by a voice message that is unheard by anyone other than the subscriber. If the prepaid time available to the subscriber is exhausted the connection may be terminated.
In the usual case, a landline telephone subscriber, such as a residential subscriber is only charged for a toll call that he or she initiates. In contrast, a mobile phone subscriber is charged for calling time even though the subscriber does not originate the call. Thus, when a call destined for a mobile subscriber is received at the local switching office, according to the present invention a determination is made whether the destination of the call is a prepaid mobile subscriber. If so, the subscriber""s account is evaluated to determine the amount of prepaid call time available to the subscriber, if any. That amount of time may be communicated to the subscriber without the knowledge of any other party to the call. Once the connection is established, the time of the call is subtracted from the remaining prepaid time available to the subscriber as the call proceeds. Also, the balance of the subscriber""s account may be decremented as the call proceeds. When the prepaid time remaining to the subscriber falls below a certain threshold, the remaining prepaid time may be communicated to the subscriber without the knowledge of other parties to the call. If the prepaid time remaining to the subscriber is exhausted, the connection may be terminated.
The present invention also provides for the convenient purchase by the consumer of additional prepaid calling time by way of electronic funds transfer. According to the present invention the consumer may use an Automatic Teller Machine (ATM) to transfer funds from a bank account of the consumer to a prepay account of the consumer. The amount transferred to the prepaid calling account is added to the current balance of the prepaid calling account and is automatically translated into an additional amount of prepaid call time available to the consumer. The present invention also provides for purchase of additional calling time by way of telephone-controlled transfer of funds from the consumer""s bank account to the call time account of the consumer. Thus, according to the present invention, the subscriber may receive notice of the remaining prepaid time to determine if sufficient time remains for the subscriber to complete a telephone conversation. In response the subscriber may enter a code using the keys of the subscriber""s telephone handset. This code will be received and interpreted as an authorization by the subscriber to electronically transfer an amount of funds from the subscriber""s bank account to the subscriber""s call time account. This transfer can be completed in less than a few seconds. When completed, the subscriber will thereupon have the additional available prepaid time that corresponds to the dollar amount of the transfer.
These and other aspects and features of the invention will be further understood by reference to the following drawings and descriptions of exemplary embodiments of the invention.